


Leaving on a Jet Plane

by larchwood



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 01:32:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3433079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larchwood/pseuds/larchwood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Ty Grady never joined the Marines, and instead got to play football like he dreamed?  What if he had a chance to be something other than a spearpoint, an assassin?  What if Zane Garrett pursued art instead of trying to become the lawyer his mother wanted?  How different would their characters be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaving on a Jet Plane

Ty wiggled deeper into his seat. The first class seat was comfortable, but he figured by the end of the flight it would feel like about as comfortable as a high school bleacher. He idly thumbed through the song choices on his ipod. If he was going to be stuck in one spot for 4 hours, he needed the music to focus his thoughts. During the season he had enough physical exertions to burn off his excess energy, but he knew his twitchiness was more pronounced when he forced to be confined.

He reached up to adjust the overhead control when he noticed the man standing in the aisle, settling his belongings in the upper compartment. The man’s face was obscured for the moment, so Ty took an extra moment - or two - to eye the long length of the guy’s body. Black cowboy boots, long, long legs with trim hips in dark blue denim, a hand tooled black leather belt, a crisp white button down shirt and a grey wool blazer. Ty’s eyes lingered for just a moment too long; once he made it all the way to the top, the man’s deep brown eyes were fixed on him. 

Ty quickly looked back down to his ipod and pretended to be busy with it as he felt the blush on his face. But he had enough of a good look to have noticed the man’s thick wavy hair and scruffy cheeks. 

The man settled into his seat next to Ty, clutching the latest John Sandford mystery, which already looked pretty worn. Getting his long legs settled seemed to be an ordeal. Ty tried not to be obvious, but he couldn’t help picking up a detail here and there. The man’s hair was well past his collar with grey liberally sprinkled around his temples, and tamed somewhat by the hipster glasses pushed up on his forehead. There was a blue stain of some sort on the back of his left hand.

The air steward’s voice came over the intercom. “Flight 2371 to Atlanta. First class has finished boarding. Business class and coach will now begin boarding.” At that, a steady stream of people started to board the plane. Ty hunched a little more in his seat and made sure the earbuds were firmly implanted. Usually he would be happy to sign autographs and visit with fans, but it was just too early in the morning to deal with that right now. Headphones at least afforded a modicum of privacy when he was out in public. 

Luckily, Ty was in a window seat. Mr. Sexy Hipster next to him on the other hand had to deal with people bumping into him with their carry-ons as they tried to find their seats. Seriously - two bags was more than enough. He simply rolled his eyes at the passenger with 2 large bags and what looked like 3 purses/backpacks slung over her shoulder. Ty’s seatmate started leaning a little closer to him as the stream of passengers kept going on and on. After the third one jostled him with a love tap from a knock-off Louis Vuitton satchel, the man grunted with displeasure, even as he leaned a little closer to Ty. Ty couldn’t help it; he chuckled at the man’s predicament and tried to give him a little more personal space - at least for the moment. Ty knew that even in first class, his own bulk and the other man’s broad shoulders didn’t leave much room to maneuver.

At the sound of Ty’s quiet laughter, the man flashed him a quick glance and a smile. It gave them the illusion at least of them versus the world. Ty’s lips lifted in a small grin in return. At least the closer confines meant that Ty could catch a whiff of the man’s cologne without being too obvious. He smelled amazing. Ty mentally shook himself….. It had been a long time since he had hooked up with another guy. Maybe he would have a chance to see David while he was in the area. A hot afternoon with his old friend would hopefully take care of this itch.

They suffered through another 15 minutes of people passing by them, oversized luggage, cranky children and all. Once the plane’s doors closed and the air hostess began her pre-flight spiel, he closed his eyes and tried to zone out.

Shortly after the captain turned off the seatbelt sign, the air crew began the beverage service. Ty took out his earbuds as the woman parked the cart next to their seats and practically cooed at Ty. “Mr. Grady, what can I get you?” Ty wouldn’t have minded a Guinness, but that seemed a little much for 10:00 a.m. “Can I get some sweet tea, darlin?” flashing a grin at her and playing up the drawl. “Certainly, Mr. Grady. Lemon?” “No, thank you.” She busied herself fixing the beverage and carefully passed it over before turning to the man in the next seat. “And for you, Mr. Garrett?” “Just coffee, please.” The man’s voice was deep and had a rough edge to it. Ty felt his gut clench at the sound. 

Once the air hostess moved on to the next pair seats, it felt as if the ice was broken and the man turned slightly to Ty. “Pardon me, I know this sounds lame, but you look familiar. Have we met before?” Ty took a sip of his tea to clear his dry throat. “I’m pretty sure that we haven’t. But you might have seen me on television.” He waited a beat to see if that sparked any awareness. The man scrunched his forehead a little in thought. Ty gave a self-conscious chuckle. “Ty Grady, Arizona Cardinals. Tight End.” The man’s eyes widened as awareness struck. “I recognize you now! Oh, sorry,” he said as he extended his hand for a shake. “Zane Garrett. Nice to meet you.”

Ty took his hand and shook. Zane’s grip was firm and warm and his fingers were calloused. Ty kind of didn’t want to let go. They both sort of stared at each other for a moment, but Zane finally gave a little bit of a squeeze before releasing his hand before pushing his reading glasses back up on his forehead. Which drew Ty’s eyes to the streaks of grey hair at his temples. Zane must be older than he realized, but it certainly wasn’t a negative in Ty’s estimation. 

Zane hurriedly started talking. “So… you must know Michelle Alston then?” Ty nodded in confirmation. “Sure do. I’m over at their house a couple of times a month during the season for team get-togethers.” Since Michelle’s husband Scott was the team quarterback, they pretty much functioned as the social leaders for any team family function. Cookouts for those events when team members wanted to socialize with each other’s families. Poker nights that were more geared to the single guys. Ty had as much fun playing frisbee with the kids as he did taking their dads’ money. Plus, it was nice to be around families. Ty shared a condo with two other players - the bachelor pad mystique got old after awhile, so sometimes he went over to their house just because.

“Michelle commissioned a painting from me last month. I should have it ready for her in another couple of weeks.” Ty looked at him with more interest (if that were possible). “Really? You’re an artist? I guess that explains the blue on your hand,” he teased. Zane looked down at the back of his left hand and made a disgruntled sound before trying to rub the color off. “Yep. You caught me. Turpentine doesn’t always work.” Ty chuckled at that as he mentally dredged up any sort of small talk to keep the conversation going. Talking with Zane was definitely more interesting than trying to get a cat nap in before the plane landed.

“So. An artist. Do you just paint or do you work in other mediums?” Ty didn’t know diddly about art but he wanted to keep listening to the other man’s accent. Zane explained that he pretty much just worked in oils and charcoal. But he occasionally did some woodcarving. “I’m pretty good with knives,” he said, his eyes sparkling as he talked about his work. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Ty was captivated.

“I’m sorry. I’m just going on and on. So what takes you to Atlanta?” Zane asked. “I’m actually headed to West Virginia to see family. Atlanta is just the connection. What about you?” Ty had a brief fantasy of stretching out whatever this was for another couple of hours. “I’m going on to New York. My agent is there and we’re just about set to open a retrospective at one of the galleries there. She’s a pain in my ass, usually, but she’s good at her job, so I do what she tells me.”

Ty pushed aside any disappointment at the news to ask, “So where are you from originally? That accent can’t be native Arizona. Arizonian. Whatever...” Zane laughed at that. “Well, I’m from Texas, actually. Born and raised. I graduated from UT, but I needed to spread my wings and fly after that.” The lightheartedness in Zane’s demeanor dimmed a little at that point. Ty noticed the change and missed the infectious warmth. He made an interested but noncommittal sound, hoping that it would encourage Zane to at least keep talking. Zane shrugged. “My family had a path set out for me that I didn’t want. Took a little while, but I finally was able to make a life for myself doing what I wanted.”

Zane paused to take a sip of his coffee, then determinedly tried to change the subject. “So - football, huh? How do you like playing for the Cards?” Ty took the conversational bait - not wanting to make Zane uncomfortable. After all, he had his own secrets that needed to stay hidden. Hard to be an out bisexual in the NFL. “I like it just fine. Especially the warm winters. Nothing like sunning myself poolside nearly year ‘round,” he winked. “Plus, we’ve got a really good organization and support. I really think we’re going to have a great season next year. The only real drawback for me is being far away from my family.”

“West Virginia, you said?” Zane prompted. With that, Ty was off, regaling Zane with his childhood exploits. Tales of he and his brother Deuce growing up wild in the mountains, the peculiarities of his grandpa, playing football in college and missing his momma’s cooking.

Zane shared some of his own stories, traveling to Europe for study, camping out in remote locations to work ‘plein air,’ riding horses on his small spread outside of Phoenix. Ty’s eye twitched at the mention of horses. “Seriously? Horses? But…. why?” Zane raised an eyebrow. “Well… I was raised on a horse ranch. Some of my best memories are of working with my dad to train them. I wanted to have a link to those good memories when I settled on my place. Having a spread out in the country was important to me - both for the horses and the privacy.”

Ty blushed at his gaff. “That’s great, man. That you have that link. I’m just not into horses, myself. I know how to get on one, and fall off of one. And it’s been years since I’ve been around any.” Zane smiled and said, “You just need to have someone who’s patient and knows what they’re doing to help you learn about them. I bet I could have you loving horses in no time.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ty’s eyes widened. Was Zane hitting on him? Or was he just being friendly? His mind started racing, wondering if he was somehow giving off a gay vibe and panicking that he’d be outed on ESPN by the time the plane landed. 

Zane burst out laughing. “Oh, Lord. By the look of panic on your face, I’m thinking you’ll never take me up on the offer.” He companionably bumped Ty’s shoulder with his own. “It’s okay, man. Horses won’t eat you. But if you feel that strongly about it, I won’t expect to see you when Michelle brings her kids out next week to check on the painting and visit the horsies.” 

He turned his neck from side to side, grimacing a little. They had been sitting and chatting off and on for a couple of hours. “I think I need to stretch my legs for a few minutes. Excuse me, won’t you?” He stood up in the aisle and twisted his trunk, trying to loosen up the muscles, before turning and walking back towards coach.

Ty watched him go, trying to calm his racing heart. “Get it together, Grady,” he thought. Zane didn’t give any indication that he even was into dudes. In fact, he had mentioned a high school girlfriend. But man - if he could have met Zane in some anonymous club somewhere, he would have definitely made a play. Zane’s easy going and self assured manner, his looks and quick wit were hitting all of his buttons. Plus - that drawl!

He stared unseeing out of the window. He loved playing football - it was all he ever wanted growing up. But being into guys didn’t work with the NFL culture. At 33, he was considered one of the old-timers on the team. That was a long time to hide who you truly are. As a senior in high school he thought he might like both guys and girls. But it wasn’t until he went to college and had a chance to explore that he knew for sure. His high school buddy David gone to the same college, and they had developed a friends-with-benefits arrangement. One that they still took advantage of whenever they were both available.

But at times like these, he wondered what it could be like if he didn’t have to hide. He wistfully played a little fantasy in his mind. Zane would sit back down, Ty would ask him if he’d like to go out for dinner some time once they were both back in Phoenix. Exchange of phone numbers. Once the plane landed, maybe the feel of a hand sliding down an arm, lingering - or a hug, before going their separate ways. The giddy anticipation of planning that first date and all the other firsts of a new relationship. Ty had never had that with a guy before. 

When Zane finally sat back down, he took in Ty’s change of mood. He smiled at him, but tactfully pulled out his book and started reading. Ty was grateful that he didn’t push for an explanation, and settled his own earbuds in for some music. They spent the next 30 minutes in companionable silence before Ty’s knee started bouncing. Ty looked at Zane furtively, but the other man continued to read, the glasses perched on his nose. But there was a small quirk to his lips as he glanced at Ty’s leg.

Soon thereafter, the airplane crew started landing procedures. As the announcement came over the intercom, Ty glanced up in surprise. This had been one of the quickest and stress-free airplane trips he ever had, and he knew it was because of the company. 

“Hey,” Zane said. “We’re on schedule, thankfully. Do you have much of a layover?” “Nah,” Ty replied. “Just enough time to freshen up and run to the next gate. How about you?” “I’ve got about an hour and half. I’ll probably find something to eat before boarding.” Was Ty imagining a hint of disappointment in Zane’s tone? After that, they started gathering their things to prepare for deplaning.

Once they were free to leave, they walked down the ramp together, and paused awkwardly. Zane held out his hand. “It was nice meeting you,” he said. “Maybe we’ll see each other around town some time.” Ty shook his hand. “I’d like that,” he murmured. He turned to hurry off, but said over his shoulder, “safe travels, Zane.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three months later

Ty rubbed the towel over his head as he wandered out of the hotel bathroom. The local TV morning show chattered on in the back ground as he got dressed. New York City was not where he wanted to be right now, but that’s where his agent worked, so he had made the pilgrimage under duress. 

He gingerly flexed his right knee. A torn ACL three weeks ago during spring training was threatening his entire career. Ty swallowed down the sour feeling in his throat. He could feel the instability in the joint. “Fuck.” If he was honest with himself, this meeting was really about how to end his career and find a life after football. And he knew his agent wasn’t going to sugarcoat things. He sat on the bed and just stared blankly out the window for awhile.

“..... a new exhibition opening at Postmasters Gallery in Tribeca, featuring the works of the modern western artist, such as up and coming Arizona artist Zane Garrett and….” Ty’s head snapped to the television. The tv anchors were in their weekend activities/events around town segment - aka gossip hour. “These works are a fresh take on modern western sensibilities, with a nod to the sweeping landscapes of Turner or Moran,” said News Reader Number One. News Reader Number Two continued with the scripted comments as a picture of Zane and another man were displayed over her shoulder. “Zane Garrett, seen here with his former partner Cody Travis at last years Arts for All gala, will be on hand for the grand opening tomorrow afternoon at 6:00 p.m.” The first news reader cooed. “My, he’s such a handsome man. And so talented!” Cue lecherous twinkle in her eye. Second News Reader chimed in, “I’m sure he won’t be single for long!” Annoying news hosts laughter. “Also featured in the show is…..”

Ty stared at the picture of Zane, while his heart started being harder and his hands got clammy. Zane looked as handsome and sexy as he remembered. He had resorted to a little Google stalking after meeting Zane - reading about his upbringing and his artistic output. But he had never found anything that went into detail about Zane’s personal life. He had broached the subject once with Michelle, trying to make it an offhand comment while at a team cookout. Michelle couldn’t stop raving about how wonderful Zane was - even though he was a talented painter, he charmed her kids as much as he did her. It warmed Ty to know that about him, but he couldn’t bring himself to reach out to Zane. Until now.

He sat there, pondering his schedule and his life after football. He reached for his phone and called his travel agent. After the pleasantries were over, he said, “Cancel my flight for tomorrow. I’ll let you know when I need to go back.”

The meeting with his agent was just as painful as he expected. Surgery would repair the problem. And he would have the surgery regardless. But the recovery time meant that he wouldn’t be playing for the Cards this season. With his age, that meant he should be prepared for the team to let him go. Championships - and salary caps - wait for no player.

His agent tried to let him down easy with talk about sponsorship deals and working as a coach or football analyst. But they both knew - practically speaking - that his playing days were over.

She tried to direct his thoughts towards the positive. “Listen, you won’t have to do two-a-days in the spring anymore, right? No more risk of concussion or broken bones. No more watching what you eat and worrying about the next hot, young player usurping your spot.” She gave him a considering glance. “You’ve had a hellava career. Now’s your chance to explore the other opportunities you’ve been given.” Ty snorted at that. “I’m serious,’ she said. You can still make a difference to young people who want the same chances you’ve had.” 

She looked at him earnestly. “Do you know what I see you doing after playing the game?” Ty just looked at her and shook his head, afraid she was lumping him into that group of washed up sports stars who did commercials for car dealerships. “You’ve got a chance to mentor young men, Ty. Youth who come from every background and who think they’re only good for one thing - sports. You can work with them and show them that being a decent human being and a contributing member of society doesn’t depend on your athletic prowess or earning potential.” 

Her tone softened as she looked at Ty gaping at her. “There’s so much more to you than just a jock, Ty. Character has to be taught and modelled. It’s really what sports is supposed to be about, right?” She lifted his chin so that he was forced to look at her. “You are a good man. And a brave man. That’s who you are. So whatever you decide to do, or however you decide to live your life, I’m there to support you 100%, okay?”

Ty just stared at her as she leaned up to kiss his forehead. He still couldn’t say anything as she rubbed the lipstick off his forehead. She moved to settle back behind her desk, and started sorting through papers. “Okay, so we’ve got a few weeks before the Cards are going to force things one way or the other. We need to decide what the game plan is for your retirement. Professional analyst, spokesperson, coach, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…”

It took him a moment, but he finally shook off the shock from the unexpected support. She hadn’t said anything directly, but Ty knew she wanted him to be happy and fulfilled. “Listen,” he said quickly, interrupting her list of what-ifs. “I’m changing my schedule to hang in New York for the week. Can we meet up again in a few days?” the hope and twitchiness in his voice stopping her. “Uh… sure. Got a hot date?” she teased. “No,” he replied. “But I’m hoping to change that.”

Her eyes widened at that. “That’s… fantastic, Ty! I hope I get to meet the lucky person, soon.” Ty bussed her on the cheek before heading out the door. “I hope so, too,” he said with a saucy wink before heading out.

~~~~~~~~~

The next day

Ty tried hard to quell his nerves before walking into the gallery. Almost 24 hours in New York City with nothing to do did not make time go by. He was practically vibrating at this point. He desperately wanted to see Zane again, but he also wanted to stalk him from a distance. Even though the twits on the morning show had said, “former partner,” it didn’t mean that he didn’t have a current one. And for all of Ty’s experiences flirting with women, it wasn’t nearly as panic-inducing as going up to a guy that he was interested in. In front of God and everybody with a cameraphone, and ignoring the potential PR fallout. 

He had dressed up in a casual suit - dark blue and tailored, with a crisp white button down and no tie. Dressy, but not formal. He had his hands in his pockets in an effort not to fidget. 

He wandered around the gallery, soaking in the atmosphere. He found himself staring at an oil painting, a fascinating vista of browns, oranges, and pinks that made up a surreal look at the Hill Country of Texas. It was pleasing to the eye, and he couldn’t stop staring at it. Careful strokes, meticulous details that still somehow formed a sloppy likeness of the sun setting over the desert. There was calm beneath the vibrant surface, and he felt a soothing calm overtake his restless anxiety.

“Ty,” he heard from behind him. He turned to find Zane standing there, his face open and glowing with happiness, looking absolutely stunning in a dark charcoal grey suit. “I didn’t expect to see you here!” as he moved in closer.

“Hello, Zane,” he replied, smiling as he felt that frisson of excitement and awareness hit. “It’s good to see you again,” he said as he bypassed the handshake and moved in for a hug. He felt Zane wrap his arms around him and sighed. “I’m happy to see you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting in my drafts forever. Unbeta'd. I'm not a writer so forgive me if I'm telling more than showing. I'm really a Zane girl, but I've spent a lot of time wondering how Ty would have turned out if he had just gone to college as planned to play football, instead of running away to the Marines once he realized he liked guys. If he didn't have combat and POW and assassinations on his psyche. How different would he have been? He still had to hide part of himself because of the NFL culture, but I think of him as more open and accepting in this version.
> 
> My headcannon is that Zane dated Becky in highschool, but they didn't marry. They simply drifted apart as young couples do and he discovered that he liked guys too. He was firmly bisexual when he met Ty, but there was no reason to bring that up in casual conversation with someone he just met.


End file.
